Who’s Still Alive From the 1960s ‘Mission: Impossible’ TV Show?

When Mission: Impossible premiered in 1966, it brought a fresh twist to the spy genre with its intricate plots, complex gadgetry and ever-changing disguises. Produced by Desilu — Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz‘s legendary TV production company — the show ran for seven seasons on CBS, followed by a brief revival in the late ’80s. It would later go on to inspire the long-running film franchise starring Tom Cruise, but the roots of Mission: Impossible lie in the tense, tightly written episodes of the original series.

Created by Bruce Geller, the show followed the Impossible Missions Force, a top-secret team of covert operatives whose job was to take down corrupt leaders, international criminals and shadowy organizations, usually via some impressive tricks. Led first by Dan Briggs (Steven Hill) and later Jim Phelps (Peter Graves), the team was made up of specialists who often had careers outside of espionage, adding another layer of intrigue.